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PENNY PINCHING GRANDMA'S INBOX
Right now they aren't in any kind of order as I get more I will try to categorize them a bit. I will add them as I get them in, so please if you have some good money saving or penny pinching tips see the bottom of this page and send them. Hi, I found your website by accident but I really like it so I am bookmarking it. There are some old tips on here that I use to know but have forgotten. I would like to share some information with you that saves me money. It is a website that list the sales at local grocery stores. Then you can match your coupons to the sales before you ever leave the house. I have saved a lot of money this way and have even gotten items for free. My cabinets and freezer are overflowing with my stockpiled sale items. The website is http://www.groceryguide.com. Hope you find it useful as well. Laura Star bucks gives away free old coffee grounds. They are neatly packaged, just ask for them. You do not have to be a paying customer to pick up the grounds either! They are very nice and glad you are saving them from going in the landfill. I put them in my garden, and I am filling in holes in the yard. It saves me from having to buy topsoil! Save old sheets that have worn out or torn. Tear into two inch strips and crochet with a small needle to make rag rugs. To wash the rugs throw into the washing machine. Name withheld by request Mosquito spray.....I can't wait to try this in the summer! I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared. The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby. During the summer, I don't leave home without it.....Pass it on. ------------------ OUR FRIEND'S COMMENTS: I tried this on my deck and around all of my doors. It works - in fact, it killed them instantly. I bought my bottle from Target and it cost me $1.89. It really doesn't take much, and it is a big bottle, too; so it is not as expensive to use as the can of spray you buy that doesn't last 30 minutes. So, try this, please. It will last a couple of days. Don't spray directly on a wood door (like your front door), but spray around the frame. Spray around the window frames, and even inside the dog house. Carol I really enjoyed your article on how to re-use things. You mentioned re-using plastic newspaper bags for packing things. I found these bags the ideal size for pooper scoopers. Take them along when walking your dog; they easily fit in your pocket. If your dog goes out, put a clean newspaper bag over your hand and arm, pick up the poop and then slide the bag back over your arm and hand. The poop will be contained in the bag once it comes off your hand; you can then just tie a knot and put it in the nearest trashcan. No mess to step in, and no smell! You can use any similar sized plastic bag for this, but I think newspaper bags are the best because they're longer. Name withheld by request Teeth whitening products cost a fortune. I only get mine cleaned once a year, my hygienist always complements me when I go. This is how I do it. I brush twice a day with a cheap whitening tooth paste and every 2 weeks I brush my teeth with Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda. Pour the baking soda onto the side of the sink (you can clean your sink with the left over) and put some Peroxide in a cup. Dip your toothbrush in the peroxide and then scoop up some baking soda. Brush teeth very well, making sure to get all surfaces. Keep getting more peroxide and baking soda as needed. Rinse with the remaining peroxide in your cup. Then rise well with water. DO NOT swallow this mixture. It's not the best tasting but is a great antiseptic and it keeps your teeth sparkling! You will be amazed at the stuff that comes off, especially tea and coffee stains. An added bonus is a clean sink and a sanitized toothbrush. Annie Well Betty from Gulf Breeze has been busy and sent a great bunch of INTERESTING IDEAS AND HINTS you can find them here. There was to many for this page so it is on a whole new page, very interesting ideas you got to check it out. Thanks, Betty I didn't have the money to replace the door seal on my washing machine where the rubber had perished. So I stuck a waterproof plaster to the tear and it stopped leaking! Periodically I do have to replace it, but it is a whole lot cheaper than a new door seal. Once when I was changing the plaster my little girl (aged five) saw me take the old plaster off, and she asked 'Is it better now Mummy?' Name withheld by request, Hi, I have been using lots of tea for many years now, including rooibos tea. Whenever I have used tea leaves they go right into my garden. I also like to make rooibos and white/green tea just for my plants (tomatoes, strawberries and peppers) and they are really seeming to love me for it. I don't have that good of soil (very clay like) and it gets very hot with extreme climatic changes. I have plants that are thriving and full of blooms and fruits. I am guessing all of those antioxidants are great for my plants too. Dale BEE STINGS My arm swelled up, so off to the clinic I went. The clinic gave me cream and an antihistamine. The next day the swelling was getting progressively worse so off to my regular doctor I went. Infected arm - needed an antibiotic. What was interesting is what the doctor told me. "The next time you get stung put a penny on the bite for 15 minutes." I thought, wow next time (if there ever is one) I will try it. Well that night Shelley's niece got stung by two bees. When she came over to swim I looked at the bite and it had already started to swell. So off I went to get my money. Taped a penny to her arm for 15 minutes. The next morning, there was no sign of a bite. Wow were we surprised. Her niece we decided just wasn't allergic to the sting. Well guess what happened again on Saturday night. I was helping Shelley deadhead her flowers and guess what? You are right I got stung again two times by a hornet on my left hand. Was I ticked. I thought, here I go again having to go to the doctor for yet another antibiotic. Well I promptly went into the house, again got my money out, and taped two pennies to my bites and then sat and sulked for 15 minutes. The penny took the string out of the bite immediately. I still wasn't sure what was going to happen. In the meantime the hornets were attacking Shelley and she got stung on the thumb. Again the penny. The next morning I could only see the spot where he had stung me. No redness, no swelling. Went over the see Shelley and hers was the same. Couldn't even tell where she got stung. Then Shelley got stung again on Monday night on her back---cutting the grass. Again it worked. The doctor said somehow the copper in the penny counteracts the bite. I would never had believed it. But it definitely does work. So remember this little bit of wisdom and pass it on to your friends, children, grandchildren, etc. Found this on one of my favorite websites and just had to share it. ZIPLOC OMELETS This works great!!! Good for when all your family is together. Vinegar - I have found that vinegar is great to relieve the itch in rashes. Rita Instead of decreasing the wattage on light bulbs, use Energy Star light bulbs. Tessa Grandma, this is a site that is something I use often and would like to see passed around! It is called freecycle.org, what it is; is a site that anyone can sign up and give away all their "stuff" that they no longer have a use for! I have given a living room set and a dining room table, old VHS tapes, you name it! It is a great alternative to taking to the Goodwill because most people will come to you to pick it up, there are only a few rules, you can not resell any items that you receive there, you must give items away for free. Not hard to obey those rules! I hope your readers go there and help each other out often! Brenda I got some great information from a reader but it is so long that I couldn't put it here, so I created a whole new page for it. It is all about peroxide including some uses and benefits of, you can find it here, peroxide. From Betty Turn down the setting on the water heater. Most people keep that water much too hot. Saves the heater; saves on the utility bill. Name withheld by request, You can use ceramic bowls as pie plates. You can use a ceramic plate covered with foil to bake a pizza. GOD BLESS Dear PP Grandma, I was really enjoying your website so I thought I would send you a recycle/reuse tip. My grandmother and mother have always reused plastic kool-aid or Tang scoops for their sugar and flour jars. They also reuse tin cans for cookie and biscuit cutters. Susan
Used dryer sheets-during "love bug" season, you can dip a used dryer sheet in some water and use it to remove dried up bugs off of your vehicle. The chemicals in the dryer sheet soften the dried up bugs and the dryer sheet does not scratch your paint job. Then all you need to do is rinse your car off. (If you leave bugs on your vehicle, the acid in their bodies will damage your paint job). Carmen
Grandma did you know you can make your own flexible ice packs. Pour 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol into a zip-type plastic bag and close it. Put the zipped bag into another bag, seal, and freeze. You will have a slushy bag of ice whenever needed for sprains, headaches, or whatever. Name withheld by request.
Dear Grandma here’s one for you. Many stores have the policy to match their competitor's prices. If you see something in the newspaper that you want, but don't want to travel to that particular store to get it, cut the advertisement out and take it to your local store. It works for me. Sharon
A shot of vodka added to a vase will keep your cut flowers fresher much longer. A little lemon-lime soda will also work. You can also add a little sugar to the water. Be sure and change the water at least every couple of days. Spray the inside of a mayonnaise jar white. Store it in the refrigerator as a hiding place for money or valuables. Both from Susan
A good trick when you go away on vacation is to place a baggie with a few ice cubes in the freezer. If a power failure occurs while you are gone and the food thaws and then refreezes you will know about it when you get home. Sherry
One of my readers suggests that you, "don't just balance the shampoo and lotion bottles to get the last drop - cut them open, there is still lots clinging to the side in any thick fluid". See Grandma is not the only penny pincher, thank you for the input. Name and address with-held by request
I make garlic and onion cough syrup. Use one head of garlic peeled and one small onion boil in one & a half pint of water.Cover and let stand over night.Strain and discard cooked onions and garlic, keep the liquid.Add one tablespoon honey & one tablespoon of lemon juice, pour into a jar and keep in refrigerator. When my little ones come up with a cough this has always worked. Gertrude, Here’s one that came to me, not by a reader; but a waitress where I was having lunch. I asked for a piece of plastic wrap for my dessert and when she brought it out to me she asked if I knew how to keep it from sticking to itself. I had to admit I didn’t. Simple, put the roll in the freezer, it will stick when it warms up a little. Thanks, Myrt!!
Cleaning Oil from Driveway or Garage floor A reader sent me the following, so I decided to include it and the answer on this page. "I really need a solution to get rid of oil stain (from a car) on my pavement (driveway); I appreciate any help you can give me. Thank you." Here is one I know works: 1. Spread a thick layer of fresh sawdust or cat litter over the oil spot to
absorb excess grease or oil on the surface. The cat litter and sawdust soak up oil and grease on the surface, whereas the dry cement actually absorbs the stain out of the driveway. Other methods I have found, but haven’t tried: Use spray oven cleaner to clean heavy grease stains off a garage floor. Spray it on and let it sit, then wiped it up with a damp rag. For stubborn stains, spray and cover with plastic that is taped down with duct tape overnight. Pour cola on the oily or dry stained areas, and leave the cola on overnight. Squirt a generous amount of dishwashing liquid into a bucket until you have a good lather. Rinse with the soapy water, then with a garden hose. Sprinkle baking soda or an absorbent powder such as cornmeal or sawdust on the oily spots. If the stain is dry, wet it first to make a scouring paste. Scrub with a stiff brush or push broom. Sprinkle automatic dishwasher detergent on the oily concrete. Leave it for several minutes, then pour boiling water on the stained area. Scrub with a stiff brush or push broom, then rinse. pssst... wanna know where you can get gorgeous jewelry for FREE? Click HERE
So do you have a good penny pinching tip for Grandma’s website? If you do go to my Ask Grandma page and send it in to me. Looking forward to many more.
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Grandma's been getting tips and ideas sent in by my readers and have decided it was time to start giving credit where credit was due. That is how this page has come about, so from now on all new tips sent in will be on this page.
